


Turn and Turn Again

by spookydudez



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Fix-It, M/M, Romance, Slow Burn, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-01-15 18:38:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18504763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spookydudez/pseuds/spookydudez
Summary: Sasuke had known the Rinnegan was capable of many things, however, he had never imagined that time travel would be one of them.orThe one where Sasuke tries to go back and right his wrongs and save the future.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to my beta [SAUC3y ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SAUC3Y/pseuds/SAUC3Y) <3

Blood seeped between Sasuke’s fingers. He struggled to stay conscious as he poured the last dregs of his chakra into the wound, desperate to keep it closed. Twisting his fingers into orange fabric, he shook the man below him as his eyes drifted shut.

            “Stay awake, idiot.” Sasuke muttered, and Naruto’s blue eyes fluttered open to focus on him.

            “Sasuke…?” The blond slurred the name, “What-what’re you doing?”

            “Trying to save your damn life.” He growled, as the other man shifted below him, which caused the jagged cut to tear open further, “Why aren’t you healing?”

             “Can’t. Kurama,” Naruto coughed, spattering blood across the both of them, “Kurama’s gone.”

            Sasuke closed his eyes and tried to gain control of the flood of panic that washed over him. He had known it was bad. It had been years since he and Naruto had faced off against someone who posed a challenge to either of them, let alone someone who could toss the both of them around like ragdolls. When he had watched the woman, so reminiscent of Kaguya, pull the chakra from Naruto, he had told himself that it would be alright, that they had faced enemies seeking to gain the nine-tails chakra before and survived, but this time had been different. Naruto had collapsed under the onslaught, and he would have been dead if Sasuke hadn’t used the Rinnegan’s power to yank him out of the way of the full force of her attack. She had left them there like that, evidently satisfied with taking the nine-tails chakra, but the damage was already done.

            “Just hold on. If I can get you back to Sakura she’ll be able to fix this.” Sasuke said, and redoubled his efforts at healing the wound, even as his vision swam at the chakra depletion.

            “Sasuke.” Naruto said, his voice a hoarse whisper, “Sasuke stop. You’ll kill yourself.”

            “No!” Sasuke spat, “I can fix this! I won’t let you die here, Naruto. You won’t die like this!”

            Even as he said it, the chakra faded from his hands, and he had to catch himself as he collapsed over the blond, careful to not exacerbate his wound. He felt the hot sting of tears, as he curled over his friend.

            “It’s alright, Sasuke.”

            A sob broke loose from Sasuke’s throat. Struggling against the chakra depletion that threatened to drag him into unconsciousness he reached out his hand to cup a whiskered cheek. He spent a long moment desperately trying to memorize how it felt beneath his fingers.

            They weren’t young, but neither were they old enough for this to feel fair. Sasuke thought of all the time he had wasted fighting his only friend. If he had known then, how it would all end, he would have stopped running years ago. How different would their lives have been if he had stayed?

            “I can’t lose you.” He whispered.      

            “Don’t be stupid.” Naruto said, his blue eyes crinkling as he smiled with bloodied teeth, “I’ll always be with you.”

            Sasuke drank in the words, leaning forward as the last of his strength left him to press his forehead to Naruto’s. He didn’t dare look away from the man beneath him. He watched as the awareness faded from Naruto’s eyes, and his skin grew cold. He felt the man’s breathing slow, and the steady beat of his pulse against Sasuke’s hand faded into nothingness. He knew the moment his best friend was finally gone, and even then, he couldn’t bear to tear himself away. He didn’t take his eyes off him, not even for a second, until the world around him went dark.

           

***

When Sasuke awoke, he wasn’t where he expected. Instead of the pale walls of Konoha’s hospital, he was surrounded by darkness that sprawled off into an unending distance in every direction. The ground beneath him was wet, and lit in an eerie blue light that seemed to come from no discernable source. It was place wholly foreign, and intimately familiar all at once.

            “Sasuke Uchiha. I did not expect to see you here again so soon.”

            Sasuke spun around, sending water splashing out in ripples around him at the movement. Unsurprisingly, the Sage of Six Paths looked unaffected by the nearly two decades of time that had passed since Sasuke had last faced him. The old sage floated suspended in mid-air, unreadable gaze focused on Sasuke as the young man tried to make sense of his surroundings.

            “What do you mean? You were the one who brought me here.” Sasuke said, accusingly.

            The sage shook his head, “No, I’m afraid you were the one who called me. Although, I do not know why.” He cocked his head, a curious gesture, and then drifted closer scrutinizing Sasuke. “You are in pain. The anguish you are feeling, it is almost tangible. What, may I ask, could have brought you this low?”

            Realization washed over him suddenly. He remembered the fight, his attempts to save his friend, the bloody smile Naruto gave him right before he died. While he currently felt as though he was in a dream, he knew that those memories were true.

            “Naruto is dead.” He said, and the sage nodded unfazed. Between them an image of the battle shimmered in the air. Sasuke watched as he and Naruto clashed again and again with the strange woman, who deflected their blows with ease and followed Naruto with her milky white gaze. She reached out a delicate hand towards Konoha’s Hokage, and bright light came spilling out of Naruto’s mouth choking him. For a long minute Naruto struggled, but it was no use, the tail beast’s power slipped further and further out of his grasp. When the last wisps of the energy came free from Naruto, the nine tails form took shape in the yellow light. It reached out one clawed paw to its jinchūriki, maw open in a soundless cry, before it was pulled into the woman, its power absorbed.

            With a wave of his hand, the sage stopped the image and the heaved a deep sigh, “This is grave indeed. I never thought one of my mother’s sisters would come searching for her, and if she has managed to capture the power of all the tailed beasts already there is little we can do to stop her.”

            “Sisters?” Sasuke growled, fist trembling at his side, “Kaguya had sisters and you didn’t warn us?”

            “What would you have done if I had? You and Naruto are and were the most powerful Shinobi alive, and even you could not stop her.” The sage said, words devoid of emotion, expression blank.

            “We could have prepared! I could have-, I would-,” Sasuke snarled, his exposed Sharigan flaring red, “I would have saved him! I would have saved Naruto.”

            He turned away, clenching his fist to stop himself from doing something he would regret. This whole time the shinobi world had still been in danger from the likes of Kaguya, and they had been none the wiser. He thought of their friends and families back in the village, who were anxiously awaiting their return, and felt the horrible grief of knowing that he was going to have to tell Hinata and her children that Naruto was dead. He was broken out of his thoughts by the sage’s voice.

            “I understand now why you called me. You wish to save Naruto Uzumaki from his fate.”

            “His fate?” Sasuke said, shooting the man a glare, “He’s dead. There is no saving him.”

            “Not in this lifetime, perhaps, but there may yet be a way.”  

***

Sasuke had known the Rinnegan was capable of many things, however, he had never imagined that time travel would be one of them.

            The Sage of Six Paths described the theory of it to him. Much like the Rinnegan allowed him to open portals between dimensions, it also allowed him to open portals through time in a way. But unlike travelling between dimensions, where the portals acted as a doorway between worlds, he could not simply step through time.

            “You should be able to send your spirit energy through the portal. It will carry your consciousness back through time, to a younger version of yourself. By doing so the younger version of you will have all the knowledge you now possess, but all the strengths you have gained physically and your physical chakra will not travel without you. For instance, your Rinnegan will be stranded here, with your physical body.” The sage explained.

            Sasuke nodded, already at peace with giving up the powerful visual jutsu. Instead his mind raced at the possibilities that this power could give him. Not only would he save Naruto, but if he went back further, he could stop countless horrors that had plagued the Hidden Leaf: The Fourth Shinobi War, the Akatsuki attacks on the Hidden Villages, Orochimaru’s meddling, and the Uchiha massacre. His heart clenched at the thought of his family. If he could do this right his parents would not have to die, Itachi would be able to have a life in the light, rather than serving his village from the shadows. 

            “How do I know when in time I will end up?” He asked the sage, letting the chakra seep into the Rinnegan.   

            “That I cannot tell you. I have never attempted this myself, I only presume what will happen based on what I know of the Rinnegan’s power. If I were to guess, I would assume that the more chakra you used the farther back you will go, but I cannot say for certain.” The sage said.

            As the jutsu slowly began to take form the two of them watched as a flickering portal appeared before Sasuke. Like the interdimensional portal, the edges of the doorway were deep purples threads that seemed to twist and tug at the reality of the world around them. However, the contents of the portal were unlike anything Sasuke had ever seen. Instead of the endless black he had become familiar with, this doorway showed hazy images, that sped past him at incredible speeds. There were some moments where he could almost recognize the scenes, streaks of orange and yellow, and pink and red, intermingling with seas of greens and blacks.

            “Are you sure, Sasuke? Once you step through, there is no turning back.” The sage said, his voice seeming more and more distant as the strength of the portal grew.

            “I’ve made my decision.” Sasuke said stepping towards the portal, “I will change. I will change it all.”

            Reaching out a hand, Sasuke closed the final distance between himself and the swirling portal. His hand was stopped, as if touching a pane of glass, but the blueish glow of his chakra, seeped past the edge of his skin, and into the swirling surface. The portal pulsed, as more and more of his chakra passed through it, until its edges crackled with energy, and the images it displayed streamed by in a blur of indecipherable colour. When the last dregs of chakra left Sasuke’s body, he collapsed at the foot of the portal. The portal wavered for a few moments, seeming almost indecisive as to whether it would stay present before disappearing in an electric flash of blue light.

            The Sage of Six Paths, drifted over to the unmoving form of Sasuke’s body, and leant down to close the man’s open, lifeless eyes. “Good luck Sasuke Uchiha,” he said, into the darkness, “I am sure we will meet again.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I feel as though I'm setting a dangerous precedent by posting two days in a row, but here it goes....
> 
> Once again many thanks to my beta [SAUC3y ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SAUC3Y/pseuds/SAUC3Y) <3

Stepping through the portal was like leaping off a towering precipice. Even though time streamed past him in an indecipherable blur, Sasuke was distinctly aware of the feeling of hurtling downwards. He was unaware of how long he remained there, falling, but he poured his focus into trying to find when to stop. He knew that if he wanted to fix everything, he would need to go back to the beginning, before Naruto was killed, before his abandonment of the village, and before the massacre of his clan. But within the portal it was impossible to know where he was heading.

           Following the sage’s advice, Sasuke tried to use his chakra to influence the jutsu, but it seemed to have no effect. Desperately, he tried to reach out and grab on to the fluttering images that passed him by, but without his physical form it was no use. Just as dread that he may be stranded in between time began to filter into his mind, he heard the call of a voice through the time stream. At first it was a whisper that he could barely hear, but the further he fell the louder it got, and soon it was a scream into time’s void.

            “Sasuke!”

            He would have recognized that voice in any place and any lifetime, and as time continued to fall all around him, he threw himself towards the sound, a frantic feeling of hope flowing through him.

            There in the void, he reached for Naruto.

           

***

Something was wrong. When he opened his eyes everything was bright. Too bright. Sunlight glared down, not on the green leaves of Konoha, but onto a mess of orange sand and purple stone. Sasuke had to squint to try and make sense of his surroundings. He could feel his arm extended behind him, the familiar weight of Kusanagi’s hilt resting in his hand. Beneath the other hand, and what a strange sensation it was to have both hands again after so long, he felt the warmth of a body. Someone was pressed against him, chest to chest, and he could hear heaving breath ghosting past his ear.

           “There’s no way a guy who can’t even save one friend can become the Hokage.” Naruto said, voice low, “Isn’t that right, Sasuke?”

           As realization of where he was sunk in, Sasuke had to clamp down a groan of frustration because this was not where he had wanted to be, not by a long shot. He was almost ten years too late.

           Although the sense of failure was a heavy feeling in Sasuke’s stomach, he couldn’t tear his attention away from Naruto’s presence. Sasuke needed to look at him, to rid his mind of the haunting image of Naruto dying in his arms, gasping for breath, painted red in his own blood. They were so close he only had to turn his head a fraction of an inch to see the other boy. Giddy relief flooded through him at the sight. Although unbearably familiar, this Naruto was still from the man Sasuke had grown to know. There was still a stubborn set to his shoulders, and the ever-present orange wardrobe clashing terribly with his yellow-blond hair, but he also seemed more uncertain than the man he was destined to be, hesitant in the face of his long-lost friend. Sasuke had known that seeing him again would be painful, but he hadn’t been prepared for the sharp lancing pain that cracked through his chest.

            Without realizing, Sasuke was moving. Kusanagi fell from his hand and struck the ground with a sharp metallic sound, and he was pulling the other boy close, hands twisted in the familiar orange sweater. His eyes stung with the sensation of holding back tears, but he didn’t dare close his eyes, worried that if he did everything around him would vanish like a dream.

           “Naruto…” The word slipped out as a whisper. He was here. He was alive! The jutsu hadn’t worked like Sasuke had planned, but at the very least it had brought Naruto back to him. Naruto tensed underneath Sasuke’s grip, obviously preparing for a physical or verbal attack, but when none came, his expression twisted with confusion. His lips parted as if he was going to speak when a cry cut through the moment.

           “Sai! Sai, stop!” Sakura shrieked, and only then did Sasuke sense the imminent attack bearing down from above.

           Tamping down on his automatic reaction to strike first, Sasuke twisted himself and Naruto out of the way as Sai tried to dive in between them. His mind flickered back to what had happened last time he had been here, in the original timeline, Sasuke understood why Sai was trying to intervene. Naruto and Sakura had sought him out trying to save him and bring him back to Konoha, with the help of Sai and Yamato as the new Team Kakashi. Instead of listening to them, he had thrown Naruto’s words of friendships and bonds back in his face before attacking him. It would seem he had unknowingly dropped back into that exact moment, when he had been seconds away from trying to stab Naruto through the back. Yes, it was understandable why Sai might be trying to intervene.

           Sai dove in with another strike, aiming not to kill, but to try and separate Sasuke from Naruto. Following the attacks with his Sharingan, Sasuke side stepped the blows with ease, herding Naruto behind him and out of the path of Sai’s blade. He understood that Sai was just trying to save his friend, but Sasuke knew that he couldn’t let Naruto go. Now that he had gotten him back, he wouldn’t be separated from him. Not in this lifetime, or any that came after.

           “I don’t want to fight you.” Sasuke said, dancing backwards out of the way of another swipe of Sai’s sword.

           “Did you really think I would just stand by and let you kill him?” Sai replied face passive as he pulled a scroll from his belt and began drawing across the pages in quick, efficient strokes, “As a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf it is my duty to protect my comrades.”

           An inked tiger roared its way off Sai’s scroll, leaping towards Sasuke. On instinct, he felt the power of the chidori explode over his hand, and he moved to destroy Sai’s jutsu, when he was forced on the defensive again as a long branch came hurtling towards him. Yamato’s wood-style jutsu narrowly missed his head, but at the last second Sasuke realized he had never been its true target. Instead the branch kept going, only slowing down to wrap itself around Naruto, before yanking him away, out of Sasuke’s reach.

           “Naruto!” Sasuke shouted, reaching after him.

           Trying to take advantage of his momentary distraction the ink tiger lunged at him, fangs bared, but this fight was child’s play to what Sasuke had faced in his previous lifetime, and with a strike of his chidori the creature exploded into droplets of ink that splattered across the stone. He raced after Naruto, evading the reach of Yamato’s wood-style branches that burst out of cracks in the purple stone. Footsteps pounded towards him from either side as Sakura and Sai tried to cut him off. To his right, Sai was working to summon other beasts from his scroll, while Sakura came at him from the other direction with her fist raised, evidently prepared to put him down with the full force of her punch.

           Sasuke turned to her pleading, “Please Sakura, I don’t want to hurt you. Any of you! I just need to talk to him. That’s all, I promise.”

           He saw the flicker of hesitation in her expression, but she didn’t back down. On his other side Sai was summoning something new from his scroll, a giant hawk from the looks of it, and Sasuke realized that there was no way he could get out of this with no one unscathed. To get to Naruto, he would have to put at least one of them down, but he knew if he did that then any hope he had of gaining their trust was gone. So, he stopped.

           Dust rose around him as his heels dug into the ground to pull him to a stop. He let his hands fall limp to his side, and stood exposed for whatever attack would come. If this was what he had to do to regain Naruto’s trust, then so be it. Tearing his eyes away from the imminent attack bearing down on him, he looked up to meet Naruto’s stunned, blue eyes, and let himself surrender.

           By his estimates, it would be Sakura who would get to him first, and he braced himself for the painful impact of her fist, but instead he felt a soft breeze ruffle around him and Sasuke found himself inches away from Naruto. He had moved, so suddenly and with such supernatural speed, that he had crossed the giant crater cut out of Orochimaru’s former hide-out in the blink of an eye. Powerful, malicious chakra rolled off him in waves, as his red gaze poured over Sasuke, and it has been so long since he had sensed this chakra that it took a moment for Sasuke to realize that this was the nine-tails’ power leaking out of Naruto. Instead of the golden glow of Naruto and Kumara’s combined efforts, the fiery red chakra bubbled off him in a manner that threatened imminent destruction. To either side of him, Sakura and Sai had been thrown back with the speed with which he had moved, although neither of them seemed seriously hurt.

                   “That’s enough. We came here to bring Sasuke back to the village, not to kill him.” Naruto said to the both of them, his voice an unnatural growl. Turning his attention back to Sasuke, the red in his eyes flickered back to blue momentarily, the nine-tails controls wavering, “You said you wanted to talk, Sasuke. So, talk.”

            “Yes, Sasuke,” A voice hissed from behind him, “do tell.”

            A shudder crawled down Sasuke’s spine at the sound. Even long after the war had ended and Orochimaru had been pardoned of his crimes, his voice had haunted Sasuke’s nightmares, demanding his Uchiha blood. Around him, Naruto and the other Leaf shinobi had frozen in surprise, eyes locked on the snake Sannin standing behind him. A cold hand grabbed at Sasuke’s shoulder, tightening its grip to the point of pain, and Orochimaru let out a pleased chuckle when his student winced.

            “Don’t stop on my account, Sasuke. I want to hear what you have to say.”

            Rolling his arm out of the man’s grip, Sasuke took a step back with a sneer, “Don’t touch me.”

            “Now, now,” said Kabuto appearing out of thin air beside Sasuke, “what have I said about using that tone with Lord Orochimaru?”

            Sasuke threw the man a silent, contemptuous glare, as he took a further step back out of the snake Sannin’s reach. Behind him, he could feel the heat rolling off of Naruto as the nine-tails chakra flared back to life with renewed force. He prayed that the blond wouldn’t be stupid enough to try and fight them. While Sasuke knew he could take on these two on his own easily enough, he worried about his ability to maneuver around the others if they tried to get involved.

            “Ah, the Leaf’s jinchuuriki managed to hunt you down, did he?” Orochimaru said, his thin lips pulling back in a grin, “Now, you know how I love to watch you fight, but we have plans for this one. We need the little Uzumaki brat to take out a few more Akatsuki members before we can let you kill him.”

            At those words a ripple of tension passed through Naruto’s companions, and shame burned in Sasuke’s chest. Most of his adult life had been spent working to atone for the way he had treated Naruto when they were young, but faced with the reality of who he had once been, he knew it would never be enough.

            “No one is going to lay a finger on Naruto,” came Sakura’s voice, her steely tone catching everyone’s attention, “If anyone tries they’ll have to go through me first.”

            This drew another laugh from Orochimaru, “Aren’t you quite the fierce kunoichi? While I’m sure the spectacle you would put on would be amusing, we really must be going. Come along, Sasuke.”

            He began walking away, Kabuto at his heels and hands fluttering through the symbols for a travel jutsu, before he noticed that Sasuke hadn’t moved. He paused, turning his head ever so slightly, so Sasuke could see his narrow glare.

            “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

            In response Sasuke let his Sharigan flare to life, shifting his stance for a fight. Orochimaru merely sighed in response, sharing a look with Kabuto, before letting his hands fall out of the jutsu he had been in the midst of performing.

            “I see you’re going to be difficult today. Very well, if it is a fight you want,” He said, and neck stretching from his body, his head slithering in the air towards Sasuke like a monstrous snake, “a fight you shall have.”

            With fangs bared his head reared towards Sasuke, diving for the curse mark on his neck. Sasuke stood his ground, preparing to let loose Susanoo, but the painful ache of the Mangekyo never came, and it was only then that he remembered what he had lost in the use of the time jutsu. His realization came too late in order to dodge Orochimaru’s attack. He could sense Naruto moving behind him, rushing to his aid, but before he could intervene, the snake Sannin paused in his attack.

            “Strange,” Orochimaru muttered, twisting his neck at an angle that allowed him to take a deep inhale along Sasuke’s skin, as if he were an animal sniffing a scent, “How very strange.”

            The head withdrew, until Orochimaru’s neck was settled normally on his shoulders. His slitted eyes studied Sasuke for a long moment before a smirk spread across his features.

            “I’ve changed my mind, Sasuke. Go on and have your fun.” With a snap of his fingers the edges of his and Kabuto's forms began to flicker with flames, like paper being burned away from the edges. More and more of his form disappeared, until only his eerie yellow gaze remained, “Just remember, I’m always watching.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the lovely feedback! I'm glad so many of you are enjoying the story :) 
> 
> Once again, many thanks to my beta [SAUC3y ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SAUC3Y/pseuds/SAUC3Y) <3

The sun was sitting low on the horizon by the time Naruto and the others had come to an agreement on what to do with Sasuke. Unsurprisingly, Yamato and Sai had been suspicious, insisting that they take Sasuke back to the village with his Sharingan covered and hands bound to prevent him from using any jutsu, but Naruto had resolutely refused.

           “No! No way! We’re not treating him like some sort of prisoner.”

           “Naruto, be logical,” Yamato said shaking his head, “Even if you do trust him, which you shouldn’t, he still has Orochimaru’s curse mark. We have no idea what that thing could do!”

           Naruto’s gaze flickered to Sasuke, who had been silently watching the four of them discuss his fate. Sasuke felt the blond’s eyes trail down to the blackened curse mark, exposed to all of them by the loose fabric of his shirt, and watched as the other boy’s mouth twisted into a grimace.

           “Sakura?” Naruto asked.

           There was a beat of silence, in which Sakura shifted uncomfortably, “I agree with Naruto, I don’t think we should tie him up,” Yamato opened his mouth as if to speak, but Sakura held up a hand to stop him, “but, you guys have a point. It seemed like Orochimaru was up to something, and until we find out what, we need to be careful.”

           “But it’s- it’s Sasuke!” Naruto said looking crestfallen.

           “I know, Naruto. Believe me, I know.” She said reaching out to put a comforting hand on his arm.

           Sakura was more mature than Sasuke had remembered her being, but to be fair he had missed out on this part of her. He had distant memories of her as the young girl who mooned over him, blind to his faults, and then when he came back to the village after the war she was a friend who he had sought comfort with when his loneliness became too much to bear. In her current state, she was a strange blend of the two. The surreptitious glances she kept throwing his way told him her infatuation hadn’t fully faded, but she was guarded, untrusting of his apparent change of heart, unlike Naruto.

           “But, he’s our friend.” Naruto said to her so uncharacteristically quiet that Sasuke had to strain to hear him.

           “Naruto,” Instantly catching the boy’s attention, “It’s fine. I expected nothing less from the Leaf Village.” He turned to Yamato and Sai, quirking an eyebrow in an impression of his younger self’s cold indifference.

           He had debated telling them the truth. It might have been easier for them to understand his motives if they knew that he wasn’t the boy who had abandoned the village and spent four years trailing after Orochimaru, but rather was a man seeking to save his village and Hokage. But, even to his own ears, his story sounded ridiculous. The Sage of Sixth Paths? Time travel jutsu? He didn’t think any of them had even seen a Rinnegan at this point in the timeline, and he doubted any of them would believe that he had managed to gain the mythical dōjutsu himself. So instead Sasuke had decided to keep quiet. He would do his best to act as his teenage self, and try to sway fate in such a way that he prevented the tragedies they would all face, without drastically altering their futures. The major drawback of this plan was it hinged on his ability to try and remember what it was like to be sixteen again.

           “If it will make you happy you can bind my hands, but if you want us to be able to travel with anything resembling speed, you’ll have to keep my eyes uncovered.” He offered, in a bored tone, proffering his hands out to them wrists together.

           Yamato considered his offer for a moment before nodding, “Fine. Naruto tie up his wrists so we can get out of here. I don’t know what Orochimaru was keeping in this place, and I don’t want to stay here long enough to find out.”

           Naruto came over and gathered up Sasuke’s wrists in a warm grip, reaching back into his pack to pull out a short length of wire. The sensation of the skin-to-skin contact sent a not-unpleasant shiver racing along Sasuke’s skin. As Naruto began securing his bindings, Sasuke gave them an experimental tug.         

           “Have you ever tied a knot, idiot? I could get out of this without even trying.” He said, and Naruto shot him a blinding smile.

           “I missed you too, bastard.”

***

They managed to get a few hours of travel in before the last of the light faded away. Under the cover of the forest canopy it was impossible to see through the darkness, so Yamato ordered they set up camp for the night. Sasuke watched in fascination as the older shinobi used wood style jutsu to build a small shelter for the five of them, big enough for them all to hide away from the worst of the night time chill, but small enough to fit in between the surrounding trees.

           Sai took the first watch, and the rest of them made quick work of setting up their bed rolls and getting some rest. Although he had realistically slept in worse places, Sasuke still found it difficult to try and fall asleep on the cold ground with his hands bound. After a while spent tossing and turning, he had been able to drift off, but his sleep was plagued by nightmares. He saw blue eyes, and lined cheeks stretched with the ghost of a smile. Lips painted with blood mouthed his name, and he was screaming and screaming and screaming before someone shook him awake.

           For a moment, he thought it was still real. Bright blue eyes stared down at him in concern, but there was no blood, only a soft frown that deepened as Sasuke scrambled upright out of Naruto’s grasp.  

           “What do you want, Naruto?” He said, trying to feign cool indifference even as his heart raced in his chest.

           Naruto leaned back on his heels, giving Sasuke space but looking no less concerned. “You were yelling. I thought something might be wrong.”

            He was dressed for sleep, headband and usual orange sweater gone, and Sasuke was acutely aware of the way his undershirt clung to the muscular planes of his chest. Feeling heat rise in his cheeks, Sasuke darted his gaze away. “It was just a dream.” He said in way of explanation.

            “Just a dream? Of what? ‘Cause you were thrashing around like someone was trying to murder you!”

            “You were watching me sleep?” Sasuke asked, dodging Naruto’s question.

            “What? No!” Naruto exclaimed, belatedly realizing everyone was still asleep and dropping his voice to a whisper, “Not watching, just keeping an eye on you is all. You woke me up ‘cause you were making all this noise, and I didn’t know if you were under some sort of jutsu. I though Orochimaru might be trying to use the curse mark to make you come back or something.”

            “Even if he was, do you really think I’m going to be going anywhere like this?” Sasuke asked raising his bound hands.

           “No! I mean- That’s not what I meant. I just-,” He groaned in frustration, raising a hand to scrub at his face, “Fine I was watching you, alright? I’m just worried something’s going to happen, and-, and I just don’t want to lose you again, you know?”

Guilt swept over Sasuke, “You won’t.”

         “But what if I do?” Naruto said, voice cracking, “Last time I closed my eyes, you were gone for four years. Four years! You’re my best friend and one day you were just gone, and there was nothing I could do to get you back. Even now, I don’t know why you’re back, and if you’re going to stay…”

           “I’m not going anywhere, Naruto. I promise.” Sasuke said, wishing he could reach out to him.

           “Are you though?” Naruto said, turning his face away from Sasuke as he spoke, “The whole reason you went with Orochimaru was so you could train to fight your brother, right? You can’t do that if you stay in Konoha.”

           Sasuke hesitated unsure of how to explain. Of course, he knew the truth about Itachi, and the impossible position his brother had been put in by both his village and his clan, but how could he claim to learned this during his time with Orochimaru. What’s more, even if he did tell Naruto and others the truth, would they even believe him?

           “It’s-, It’s complicated.” He said, and Naruto frowned in confusion.

           “What does that mean?”

           “I don’t want to kill Itachi. Not anymore.” Sasuke said pausing to consider what he should say, “It doesn’t make sense, why he slaughtered the whole clan, but left me alive. He told me it was so that he could test the limit of his powers against me one day, but…I don’t think that’s the whole truth. I want to find out the truth, and I can’t do that if he’s dead.”

           For a long moment Naruto didn’t say anything, studying Sasuke, blue eyes wide and searching. Then he nodded once, “Alright. We’ll find Itachi, and bring him back to Konoha. I’m sure Granny Tsunade would let us if we asked.”

           “We?”

           “Yeah, of course, you’re part of team seven! You don’t think we’re going to let you face him alone, do you?” Naruto said reaching over and giving Sasuke’s shoulder a friendly shove, “Besides,” He continued, expression wavering in a rare display of vulnerability, “you promised you weren’t going to leave again, right?”

           Sasuke felt a small smile slip out, “Right.”

           “Good. Alright.” Naruto said running a hand through his hair and returning the smile, “Well, I guess we should probably get some sleep.”

           He rolled to his feet and moved back to his own bed roll a few feet away. Sasuke turned, resisting the urge to follow the blond with his eyes, and settled back into the least uncomfortable position he could find. He had just managed to find a spot with only a couple of rocks digging into his back when Naruto spoke.

           “Actually, wait a second, I have something for you.” He said, turning to dig something out of his pack.

           A moment later he threw something towards Sasuke. Metal glinted in the limited lighting before Sasuke reached up his arms to grab whatever it was. Once he had it in his hands he instantly recognized the feel of metal and fabric beneath his fingers. Carefully, he traced the outline of the leaf symbol on the forehead protector.

           “It’s yours,” Naruto supplied when Sasuke glanced up at him in confusion, and he watched as colour flooded the other’s whiskered cheeks, “I kept it, ‘cause I knew you’d need it again someday.”

           Warmth flooded Sasuke’s chest, and he clutched the headband a little bit tighter until he could feel the imprint of the symbol in his palm. “Thanks.” He said quietly as Naruto shuffled back under his blanket.

           “Just make sure not to lose it again,” The other boy said, rolling over, “Good night, Sasuke.”

           “Good night.” Sasuke whispered in reply, but he knew, based on the rapid beat of his heart against his ribcage, that he wouldn’t be sleeping for a while.

            The remainder of the trip back to Konoha passed by in relative peace. Although Yamato and Sai continued to keep a cautious eye on Sasuke, Naruto’s continuous pleas in his defense seemed to wear them down, to the point where they eventually allowed him to travel with his hands unbound during the day. Even Sakura had begun to let her guard down around him, occasionally adding in comments to the exuberant stories Naruto would regale Sasuke with over their evening meals. But as tension about his presence began to leave the rest of the group, Sasuke could sense the undercurrent of exhaustion that ran through them all. They had been away from the village for more than a week on their mission to bring him back, so when the distant outline of Konoha began to appear between the trees their relief was almost palpable.

           “Home.” Naruto said with a small smile from where he ran beside Sasuke.

           Sasuke turned the word over in his mind. He supposed it was true, that Konoha had once been his home, but the closer they got, and the more visible it became, the more alien it seemed to him. Distantly, he could remember this village, one untouched by Pain’s attack or the effects of the fourth shinobi war, but even then, it hadn’t truly felt like home to him after the loss of his clan. Even the village Konoha would grow to become under Kakashi and Naruto’s work as Hokage had never been home to Sasuke, but merely a place he stayed between missions. Home had been a transient concept to him. It was Sarada’s childish love and adoration, and Sakura’s gentle acceptance, the way Naruto’s smile would light up the room when Sasuke finally returned to the village, and the knowledge that with every enemy he cut down those he cared about were kept safe.

            Staring at it now, he wondered if this lifetime would be different. If he had nothing to atone for, would he be able to stay in Konoha and grow to care for the village and its people like Naruto and the others? Or was he destined to be a wanderer constantly in search of a purpose?

            His thoughts were abruptly cut short as they caught sight of a team coming towards them from the village. They slowed as the three-man squad approached them, and Sasuke fell back behind the others, wary that his unannounced presence might invoke a violent response. As the three shinobi grew closer it became evident that this wasn’t just a typical group of chūnin and jōnin on border duty. At least, that was what Sasuke suspected, as he doubted that the legendary Kakashi of the Sharingan was regularly tasked with greeting inbound travelers to the Leaf Village. Kakashi and his team, Neji and Might Guy, drew to a stop opposite them in the clearing, pointedly standing between Naruto’s group and the village.

            “They can’t be serious.” Sakura whispered disappointedly, sharing a look with Sasuke who had come to the same realization.

            “What?” Naruto said looking between the two of them. He turned back to the team in front of them, brows drawn in confusion, “Kakashi-sensei?”

            “Hello, Naruto, Sakura” Their former teacher called out across the space, voice cold, “I’m glad to see you both made it back alright. Yamato,” He said turning to face the wood-style user, who nodded in response, “thank you for sending word ahead.”

            “Kakashi? Neji?” Naruto asked, voice rising in concern, “What’s going on?”

            Neither of them answered, and Neji shamefully avoided meeting Naruto’s eyes. Kakashi on the other hand, looked past Naruto, eyes hard as they took in Sasuke standing unrestrained behind the blond.

            “We are here by order of the Hokage.” Kakashi said, and at his sides Neji and Might Guy began to flank out on either side of their group, “Sasuke Uchiha is to be taken into the custody of the Leaf village. Dead or alive.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your lovely comments! It took me a bit longer to get this chapter out, but going forward a week or two between updates will probably be more typical. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and what's to come :) 
> 
> Once again many thanks to my beta [SAUC3y ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SAUC3Y/pseuds/SAUC3Y) <3

_“Sasuke Uchiha is to be taken into the custody of the Leaf village. Dead or alive.”_

            The tension in the air was almost palpable in the silence that followed Kakashi’s statement. Although Kakashi, Neji, and Guy were all trying to maintain an air of nonchalance, Sasuke did not miss the subtle stiffness in their stances that hinted at their underlying preparation for a fight. Naruto on the other hand, was doing nothing to mask his feelings. His fists were clenched white-knuckled at his sides, and when he spoke, his words were twisted by a tone of betrayal.

            “You’re wrong! That’s not true!” Naruto shouted at Kakashi, who remained stoically unresponsive, “Granny Tsunade would never do that!”

            “I thought you might say something like that.” Kakashi said, reaching into a pocket in his vest and pulling out a slim scroll which he tossed towards Naruto. “See for yourself.”

            Naruto caught the scroll easily, but the frown marring his normally bright features deepened as he opened it and read through its contents. “But, why? I don’t understand.” He said quietly.

            “Naruto, you had to know that the Hokage would not just accept Sasuke back into the village,” Neji spoke, his activated Byakugan unwavering from its focus on Sasuke, “He’s a missing-nin. We have no idea what crimes he may have committed, not to mention what secrets he has passed along to enemies of the Leaf.”

            “No-,” Naruto began, his voice getting heated, but was cut off as Sasuke stepped forward. Kakashi and his teamed tensed, but Sasuke stopped just short of his former teacher and raised his hands in surrender.

            “It’s all right, Naruto. I didn’t expect a warm welcome,” He said without turning to look at the blond, “I’ll come with you peacefully.” This, he said to Kakashi who replied with a curt nod before gesturing for Sasuke to turn around.

            Once again, Sasuke’s hands were secured, but unlike the simple rope that Sai and Yamato had used to bind his hands while they travelled, Kakashi tightened a pair of sealed braces around Sasuke’s wrists. Almost immediately, Sasuke felt the flow of chakra to his hands become blocked, leaving him with a strange sensation of almost numbness. He was flexing his fingers, becoming accustomed to the sensation, when he was startled by something being pulled down over his eyes.

            “Is that really necessary?”  He heard Sakura demand.

            “Hokage’s orders.” Kakashi said simply, but gave no further explanation.

            Sasuke had not being lying when he had told Naruto he hadn’t expected a warm welcome from Konoha, but he was still stunned by Kakashi’s cold detachment. As his former teacher secured the blindfold at the back of his head with a quick, efficient knot, he tried to recall how Kakashi had reacted to his return in the original timeline. He hadn’t been as warm as Naruto or Sakura, but that had hardly been a surprise. However, Sasuke didn’t remember him being this distant. Of course, the circumstances of his original exoneration had been very different. His help in defeating Kaguya, and saving the world had probably swayed Kakashi’s opinion of him.

            “If you’re going to take him in then we’re coming with you.” Naruto said determinedly, and Sasuke could hear his footsteps racing to catch up with them.

            “No you’re not,” Kakashi said, jerking Sasuke’s arm and pulling him in the direction of the village, “You’re to report to the Hokage for a mission brief.” These words must have been met with another preparation of protest from Naruto as Kakashi continued more gruffly, “That’s an order.”

            For a long moment, no one spoke. Eventually though, Sasuke heard the soft hiss of air that meant someone had leapt past him into the trees, followed quickly by the sound of two others following. Whoever remained stepped up beside Sasuke, and he felt Kakashi’s grip tighten painfully on his arm.

            “We’ll talk to Tsunade,” Sakura said quietly, “We’ll fix this.”

            Then, she too darted away, leaving Sasuke behind.

 

***

 

            By the time Sasuke was locked away in a cell deep in the bowels of Konoha, he was completely exhausted. Kakashi had set a brutal pace the remaining way back to the village, and even though he and Might Guy had pulled Sasuke along, his lack of vision had meant that he had gathered a number of bruises and cuts from stumbling into unseen undergrowth. Tilting his head back against the wall behind him, too tired to care about its grimy surface, Sasuke tried to take a moment to rest, as he suspected it would be a while before anyone here let him get any proper amount of sleep.

            As if on cue, the door to the prison opened with a crash, as it slammed into the wall. Lazy footsteps followed the sound, walking down the long line of empty cells until they came to a stop just short of where Sasuke was being kept. With his eyes still covered, Sasuke couldn’t be sure of the visitor’s identity, but he had a good idea as to who was there watching him.

            “I didn’t expect you to return so soon, Kakashi.” Sasuke said casually, tilting his head towards the man.

            His former teacher made a noncommittal noise, but then Sasuke felt a hand roughly tug the blindfold from his face. Although there was little light in the prison cell, he still had to blink to adjust his eyes from the sudden darkness.

            “I thought my Sharingan were too dangerous to be left uncovered.” He said, as the man pulled his arm back from between the bars of the cell and tossed the blindfold aside.

            “There are some who are under that impression,” Kakashi said, “They believe that you might possess the same talent as Itachi for genjutsu. I, however, doubt that. You see, I know you are nowhere near as talented as your brother, and besides,” He continued as Sasuke turned to look at him, “you’re not the only one here with the Sharingan.”

            Kakashi’s headband was raised to reveal the spinning blood-red form of his borrowed eye. His mask still covered the lower half of his face, but Sasuke was familiar enough with his former teacher’s concealed expressions to tell that his mouth was set in a grim line, and for the first time, Sasuke wondered if Kakashi might pose a real threat in this timeline. Trying his best to maintain his younger self’s cool façade, Sasuke merely raised an eyebrow at the man expectantly.

            When Sasuke didn’t deign to reply, Kakashi huffed in surprise, “Nothing to say? I’m surprised. It wasn’t all that long ago that any mention of your brother would have sent you over the edge.”

            “It has been four years,” Sasuke said, refusing to drop Kakashi’s gaze, “Maybe, I’ve changed.”

            “Hm, maybe.” The man said non-committedly.

            He turned then, strolling along the bars that marked the edge of Sasuke’s cell, dragging his hand along and knocking his knuckles against the metal pieces one by one. It struck Sasuke how this version of Kakashi was so different than the man he knew. This wasn’t the lazy jōnin, or disinterested teacher that he knew as a child, nor was he the strategic leader and Hokage he would become during the war. No, this man was an emotionless shinobi, cold and calculating in the face of an enemy.

            “Do you remember what I told team seven, the day the three of you officially became genin?” Kakashi asked, turning once he reached the end of the cell, to pace back the other way.

            As Sasuke thought back to that time, the only sound that filled the room was the echoing clang of Kakashi’s gloved hands knocking against the bars. He remembered that day. The frustration at being bested by the jōnin, his annoyance with Naruto and Sakura for being untalented and whiny, and the strange sense of burgeoning happiness that filled him when he had offered Naruto some of his lunch against Kakashi’s strict orders.

            “Those who break the rules are scum.” He said, and outside the cell Kakashi stopped, facing away, “but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.”

            “So you do remember it then,” Kakashi said, his voice unreadable, “I guess that means I must have failed as your teacher, because it seems to me that you never truly learned the importance of that lesson.”

            Sasuke frowned, “I realize I made a mistake when I left, but-,”

            Kakashi, whirled around, eyes blazing, “You didn’t just leave, you abandoned the village to join one of our greatest enemies. That alone would make you scum.” He said leaning in as close as the bars of the cell would allow, “But when you left, you tried to kill Naruto, and worse than that, you almost succeeded. You left your only friend there to die, Sasuke. So, no you’re not just scum, you are worse than scum.”

            Sasuke flinched. While Naruto had never seemed bothered by the events that took place in the Valley of the End, Sasuke hadn’t ever been able to forgive himself for what he’d done. He could still recall the warm, wet feeling of thrusting his arm through Naruto’s chest, how muscle and bone had given away under his chidori leaving a gaping hole. The wound he had left had been eerily similar to the one that had ended up killing Naruto so many years later, and the two opposing memories of hot blood spilling over his finger made bile rise in Sasuke’s throat.

            Swallowing, he tried to shake the memories from his mind and looked back up at Kakashi, who was studying him silently. The man seemed perplexed by Sasuke’s reaction, his eyebrows furrowed as if he were in deep thought trying to put something together. He looked as though he was about to speak when distantly the prison door opened once again.

            Ibiki Morino and Inoichi Yamanaka strode down the hall towards them, their expressions carefully neutral as they took in the scene before them. The moment the door had opened, Kakashi had sprung away, now appearing utterly bored as he leaned against the hallway wall opposite Sasuke’s cell. He had even managed to pull out one of his books, casually flipping a page as if he hadn’t been as equally surprised by the entrance of the other two shinobi.  

            “Kakashi.” Ibiki said in way of greeting, evidently unfazed with the jōnin’s presence in the prison hallway. Nodding in reply, Kakashi quickly feigned turning his attention back to his copy of Icha Icha, as the two men approached the bars that separated Sasuke’s cell from the hall.

            “You removed his blindfold, Kakashi?” Inoichi asked, his gaze carefully directed anywhere but Sasuke’s eyes.

            The silver-haired jōnin shrugged, “I figured if he was going to use a genjutsu he would have done so already. Don’t worry Yamanaka, I think we’re safe.”

            At this the two men frowned, and Sasuke watched as they shared a look, before moving to the door of his cell. Ibiki pulled a thick ring of keys out of his pocket, flipping through them until he withdrew one that was a long and thin and vaguely rusted. He slid it into the lock, twisting it, before flipping his hands through a long series of complex hand signs that Sasuke couldn’t follow. When he released whatever seal must have been on the cell door, he pushed it open, and stepped in, followed by Inoichi.

            “Sasuke Uchiha,” Ibiki said, closing the door behind him, and stepping in front of where Sasuke was seated on the cell’s small cot, “The Hokage has requested that you be interrogated about your time spent as a missing-nin under the tutelage of Orochimaru. She has asked that we avoid any unnecessary harm, however we have been given permission to gather this information through any means necessary. Now, you have two options. Yamanaka here is your easy option,” He said, clapping a hand on the blond shinobi’s shoulder, “You let him into your mind willingly, and we’ll go through your memories and see if there is anything that might concern the Hokage or the Leaf Village. If you have nothing to hide, the Hokage is willing to discuss the possibility of a pardon. If you refuse, the hard option is pretty much the same,” He continued a smirk spreading across his features, “except I torture you first until you agree to the easy option.”

            For the first time since being taken into custody, Sasuke became concerned. He wasn’t worried about what Ibiki or Inoichi might do to him, he knew he could endure whatever torture they might have in mind, but he was worried about what the Yamanaka might find reading his thoughts. His memories extended far beyond the present. If Inoichi read his thoughts, he would learn the truth about the Uchiha massacre, see the results of Pain’s attack on the village, and the entirety of the Fourth Shinobi War. He would see the development of the village and the birth of his grandchildren, events that took place more than a decade from now. Sasuke had tried his best to keep the truth of his return from Naruto and the others, but Inoichi’s mind reading abilities might have made that all for nothing.

            He debated about telling them the truth, but quickly decided otherwise. In all likelihood, Ibiki would not be very receptive to Sasuke refusing to have his mind read because he was from the future. At best, the other man would think he was insane, at worse he would think Sasuke had something to hide. Whatever he chose, whether it be refusing or agreeing to Inoichi’s interrogation, it would likely end badly, it was just a question of how drastic the consequences would be.

            After a long moment of silence under Ibiki’s accusatory gaze, Sasuke came to a decision and acquiesced. “Fine, read my mind if you want,” He said, “I have nothing to hide.”

            He noticed Kakashi’s interest pique at his response. His reaction would not have been noticeable if Sasuke hadn’t been his student and friend for many years, but the ever so slight shift of the book in the man’s hand, angled slightly downwards to better watch the other shinobi, tipped him off.

            “Alright,” Ibiki said gruffly, gesturing to Inoichi, “Let’s get started.”

            The blond Yamanaka reached forward, hand spread, to rest atop Sasuke’s head. Sasuke could feel a tingling chakra flowing from the other man’s palm into his scalp, and he felt a tug in the recesses of his mind, as if he was trying to grab hold of a thought that was just out of his reach.

            “Doesn’t he normally need some special machine for that?” Kakashi asked from outside the cell, pointing at Inoichi.

            “Only when they’re unwilling. Their thoughts flow much more easily when they don’t resist.” Inoichi said in reply, and that was the last thing Sasuke was truly aware of before the memories started flooding to the forefront of his mind. His whole life flashed by him, in images and snippets, some flowing by faster than others as the Yamanaka bypassed them in favour of others.

            His earliest memories were defined by Itachi. In his mind he watched as he chased after the older boy, always wanting to be with him, to be like him, to surpass him. Over and over again he saw his younger self plead for attention, before being beckoned forward, and jabbed softly in the forehead. “Another time, Sasuke”. He remembered being so, so happy, as his big brother had carried him home through the village after he had twisted his ankle, but it had become a bitter sweet sentiment as his memories were now painted with blood, fear, and bitter betrayal.

            Then the memories changed, as if his mind had been tilted on its axis. Suddenly, he was looking at a little boy with blond hair, and sad blue eyes who Sasuke watched from his spot by the water but never talked to, because the hatred in him was eating away at him from the inside out. Where his earliest memories had revolved around Itachi, now Sasuke’s youth was centered around Naruto. As Inoichi tore through his mind, Naruto was everywhere. He was in Sasuke’s memories of the academy, acting out desperately for attention, even when he was always the butt of the joke. The time spent with team seven was saturated by memories of Naruto trying and failing again and again to beat Sasuke, to win Sakura’s affection, to gain Kakashi’s approval. Here, Sasuke’s memories began to become tinged with a warm, fluttery feeling that he so desperately wished he could hide from the Yamanaka’s investigation. It came unbidden at the memories of Naruto’s ridiculous orange jumpsuit, his boisterous laugh, and his blindingly bright smile.

            Even when the memories of his time spent with Orochimaru were pulled to the forefront of his mind, Sasuke’s memories were still on his brother and best friend. His waking moments had been spent training, strategizing about the best way to use his newfound skills to defeat Itachi. Meanwhile his sleepless nights were endlessly spent wondering if he could really ever kill his best friend to gain eyes like his brother’s.   

            Distantly, he could hear Inoichi muttering to Ibiki. Locations of Orochimaru’s hideouts, jutsus the snake Sanin had been developing, and the allies and resources the man had managed to gain across the various nations. But he didn’t focus on that, instead he was enraptured by the ebb and flow of his lifetime flashing before his eyes.

            They were quickly approaching his last few memories of the present timeline. He watched on as the past version of him stared down at Naruto, Sakura, Sai, and Yamato from above the remains of Orochimaru’s hideout, a sneer painted across his features. Then that version of him was leaping from the great height and landing silently in front of Naruto, reaching behind him to wrap his hand around Kusanagi’s hilt and - it stopped.

            Sasuke came out of the memory with a choked gasp for air. He felt Inoichi’s grip on his head fall away, and he looked up to see the older man staring at him with shocked wide eyes.

            “What is it? What happened?” Ibiki demanded, eyeing Sasuke suspiciously.

            The Yamanaka paused, mouth opening and closing a few times as if trying to find what to say. “There’s something missing, in his mind. Memories and thoughts that I can’t see.”

            Realization washed over Sasuke. Inoichi’s jutsu didn’t seem to be capable of viewing his memories that came after the moment in time he had come back to the past, which meant that something was keeping what he knew about the future hidden. Sasuke suspected that this too was part of the Rinnegan’s power, designed to keep the events of the future hidden from those in the present. While he didn’t fully understand how the power worked, he knew that now more than ever he had to make sure he didn’t reveal what was to come to those in this timeline.

            "So his memories were erased?” Ibiki asked, his expression dark.

            “No it’s strange…There are a number of jutsus that are designed with the intent to remove a memory, but this is…different. You see, normally, when a memory is taken it leaves nothing behind. Only through examining the memories around the point that was taken can you infer something is gone. But this, this is like negative space. There are years, decades even, of thoughts in his mind that just…aren’t there. I can see where they should be, like a ghost of their presence, but when I look I see only darkness.”  

            “What does that mean, Yamanaka?” Ibiki demanded, scowling at the other man, “Is it some type of jutsu?”

            “That’s just it, I don’t know,” Inoichi said, shaking his head, “I’ve never seen anything like it. I thought I’d seen every type of mind-meddling jutsu there was, but this, this is beyond even my expertise.”

            At this, the already grim atmosphere darkened even further. Ibiki whirled towards Sasuke, gripping a fistful of his shirt and lifting him until his toes were scrabbling for purchase on the dirty prison floor.

            “What the hell is this, Uchiha?” The man growled, his grip tightening and pulling Sasuke up further.

            “I don’t know.” Sasuke said, knowing now that he surely couldn’t tell them the truth, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

            “He’s lying.”

            The three men inside the cell all looked over at Kakashi, who had put away his book, and was now glaring at Sasuke with open suspicion.

            “You’re sure?” Ibiki asked.

            Kakashi nodded once, a quick, sharp gesture, and then Sasuke was being thrown back against the wall by Ibiki. His back crashed into the stone, and the force of it felt as though it had knocked the air out of his lungs. With a groan, he struggled to push himself upright with his bound hands, but he was met with a blow from Ibiki’s fist, that glanced off his cheek and left his ears ringing. Out of the corner of his eyes, Sasuke saw Kakashi look away as the Ibiki raised his hand to prepare for another strike.

            “Tell us what you did to your memories, Uchiha.”

            “I didn’t do anything.” Sasuke hissed, but this was met with another sharp strike to his face.

            “The sooner you undo whatever little jutsu you used, the sooner this will all be over.” Ibiki growled, pulling back his fist for another blow, “One way or another we’re going to find out. The difference will be how much you choose to suffer.”

            Sasuke shut his eyes, bracing himself for another blow, but none came. When he looked up, Inoichi had stepped forward stretching his arm out to block Ibiki’s blow. The other man glared at the Yamanaka.

            “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He growled, but stepped back nonetheless.

            Once he seemed assured Ibiki wasn’t going to go in for another strike, Inoichi spoke, “There’s no way this boy cast that jutsu. Whatever has been done to his mind, is well beyond anything he’s capable of. Hell, it’s far beyond what any of us here are capable of. If I had to guess, there are probably only a handful of shinobi in the world who could perform a jutsu like that, let alone create it.”

            What Inoichi was hinting at didn’t slip by anyone in the room.         

            “Orochimaru?” Ibiki asked.

            The Yamanaka nodded, “He’s the only one the boy knows who could attempt something like this.”

            There was a long pause, where the gazes of all three jōnin turned to Sasuke. Whereas before their gazes had held unconcealed suspicion, now they looked at him as if he was a bomb that was just waiting to go off.

            “Do you think you can undo it?” Ibiki demanded.

            “Maybe,” said Inoichi, “but I’ll need time. I need to study whatever this jutsu is before I attempt to unravel it. There’s no knowing what the consequences of it might be if it’s undone incorrectly.”

            “So what do we do with him in the meantime?” Kakashi interjected from beyond the bars of the cell, “If this is Orochimaru’s doing, then having Sasuke in Konoha under his jutsu may have all been part of his plan in the first place.”

            “That thought had occurred to me,” Inoichi said, studying Sasuke thoughtfully, “I suggest we keep him unconscious, at least until we figure out the full extent of what this jutsu can do.”

            “There’s nothing else we can do?” Ibiki pushed, but the Yamanaka shook his head.

            “Short of killing him? No.”

            For a moment Ibiki looked contemplative of the idea, but instead he gestured at the Yamanaka to leave. “Fine, we’ll put him under for now, but I want every shinobi from your clan that you can spare working on this. Got that?”

            “Understood.” Inoichi said, turning to leave. He was followed by Ibiki who shot Sasuke a sharp look over his shoulder as he left the cell.

            “Can you deal with him?” He asked Kakashi as he stepped out, “I need to update the Hokage on what we’ve learned.”

            “I think I can manage.” Kakashi replied taking the cell’s key from Ibiki’s outstretched hand.

            Once their footsteps at faded down the long prison hall Kakashi stepped into the cell, pulling forth a small scroll from his vest. It unravelled to reveal a seal that was unfamiliar to Sasuke, its pattern intricate in design and swirling around a center point. Sasuke wondered if he should try to fight his way out. He supposed he could probably put up a good fight against Kakashi, even without his Mangekyo Sharingan, but deep down he knew that if he were to fight his former teacher, he would likely ruin any chance he had of having the village trust him again.

            Leaning in, Kakashi moved to placed the seal on the part of Sasuke’s chest exposed by the opening of his shirt, but he paused, the seal held just inches away from Sasuke’s skin.

            “I almost believed you there, when you said you had changed. That was my mistake,” Kakashi said, voice low. He had covered his Sharingan when Inoichi and Ibiki had come in, but his exposed grey eye was narrowed to a slit as he glared down at his former student, “You may have Naruto and Sakura convinced of your innocence, but I know you’re planning something. If I find out that whatever you’re up to will harm either of them, I want you to know that I will not hesitate to take you down myself.”

            With that, he thrust the seal against Sasuke’s chest, and instantly the world went dark.


End file.
